


Birthday Memories

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood, Community: onceuponaland, Female Protagonist, Gen, POV Female Character, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-31
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-17 11:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magical wounds never really lose their aches and pains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Focus: Regina  
> Secondary Focus: Cora, Henry Sr.  
> Date Written: 25 October 2012  
> Word Count: 1075  
> Written for: [](http://onceuponaland.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://onceuponaland.livejournal.com/)**onceuponaland** 's Round 3 Bingo challenge  
> Prompt: Regina - memories  
> Summary: Magical wounds never really lose their aches and pains.  
> Spoilers: Pre-series, but consider all of Regina's storyline to date up for grabs.  
> Warnings: **Depictions of child abuse.**  
>  Series: Possible part of the "Redemption of a Heart" series  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: <http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/>  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Jane Espenson is a goddess for having her random writing sprints on Twitter. This got written during one. Woot! This got a little darker than I'd initially intended, and I'm quite sure it'll end up getting expanded upon at some point.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as always…
> 
> Beta: Many thanks to [](http://shatterpath.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**shatterpath**](http://shatterpath.dreamwidth.org/) & [](http://theonlyspl.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://theonlyspl.livejournal.com/)**theonlyspl**. All remaining mistakes are entirely my fault. Point 'em out in _constructive_ criticism and I'll fix 'em.

It all started with her fourth birthday. The day she got the scar on her lip. The one that hurts to this day, and probably will for the rest of her life. Magical wounds never really lose their aches and pains. Once inflicted, the victim can never fully be free of them unless the inflictor chooses to remove the wound entirely. She learned that from her mother at a very young age.

Sometimes she wondered what she'd done to deserve that scar. Oh, she could remember the day with crystal clarity. Another side effect of magical scars, of course. But she never understood how the chain of events came into being.

She'd been quietly playing with her dolly in the corner by the fireplace. All of Eliza's things were laid out beside her, as they always were, in specific patterns. Mama had taught her the meaning of being clean and tidy, and she never strayed from those lessons. The punishment was far too great if she did. Eliza had three outfits, plus the original outfit she'd been made with. Daddy had given Eliza to her on the day she was born, and each birthday meant a new outfit for Eliza. She always made sure that Eliza was in her original outfit on her birthday, and would progress through the outfits until the new one was given to her. She never mixed up the outfits. Mama wouldn't approve of the frivolity of haphazardly throwing outfits together. One must always look perfectly presentable at all times, as one never knew when Destiny would come knocking on the door.

But that day, she found a small tear in Eliza's original dress. She chewed at her lower lip, worried about asking Mama to fix it. She knew that Mama would be angry to find that she'd been too rough with her things, and feared that Mama might take Eliza and her clothes away. Daddy was out working in the stables with one of the King's horses that he was nursing back to health. Mama was out there, too, because the King was supposed to come and check on the horse's progress. Mama never missed a chance to impress the King, even if it meant that she wouldn't get her birthday dinner or presents on time.

She stole over to the large box where Mama kept all of her sewing and spinning things. Mama didn't always bring it out, but she'd never specifically said that it was off limits. Mama had said that once she was four, she'd start learning how to do the pretty embroidery that Mama was so good at. She'd seen Mama sewing many times and thought she could do it herself. She dug for thread and a needle, coming up with both in a very pretty gold color. With careful fingers, she threaded the needle and started to stitch up the tear in Eliza's dress.

The next thing she knew, Mama yelled and she found herself suspended and thrown back against the wall. Mama's magic held her there, strands of thick ropey stuff that tried to push her into the wall itself. She knew better than to cry out or try to fight back, that only made Mama angrier. Even at four, she knew how to stay still until the right time to apologize and promise never again to do whatever angered Mama so badly. Even if she never knew what it was that she did wrong, she always apologized and promised to never do it again.

Tears slipped down her cheeks and she clenched her teeth tightly to keep from crying out as the magic ropes tightened against her chest. She stared at Mama with wide, fearful eyes as her careful stitches were stripped out of Eliza's dress. When Mama started to squeeze her fist around Eliza, as if to crush her, she broke the rule and cried out. Mama's punishment was swift and deadly accurate: a tendril of magic shot out to close her mouth, but she turned her head and the whip tip lashed into her face. She cried out again as pain blossomed over her mouth, begging Mama to stop. She promised she'd be good and never touch Mama's things again without permission if only Mama would let her go and not get rid of Eliza.

Somehow Daddy convinced Mama to do as she'd begged, and he caught her in his arms as Mama let the magic go. She curled into his chest from the pain, then babbled her apologies for getting blood on his clothes. Daddy did what he could to fix her lip, finally offering Mama something if she would just stop the bleeding and close up the wound. Mama agreed, but the pain didn't stop, just as she knew it would never stop unless Mama chose.

Daddy managed to get a different needle and thread and helped her fix Eliza's dress. She offered him a tiny smile, unable to do anything more because of the tear in her lip. She bravely tried to ignore the pain to eat her birthday dinner, especially the apple cobbler that she adored. After dinner, Daddy gave her Eliza's new outfit and helped her put it on Eliza. He also gave her a small carved cradle with a shelf underneath to keep all of Eliza's clothes in. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she thanked him for the gifts. Mama gave her a new outfit, one that actually matched Eliza's. That couldn't have been coincidence. Mama also gave her a small case for her own embroidery supplies, saying that they would begin her lessons in the morning.

When she went to bed that night, she couldn't sleep from the pain in her lip. Daddy tried to sing her to sleep, but it only worked until she moved, which made the pain blossom nearly as strong as when she first got the wound. Eventually Mama came in and sat next to her on her bed, stroking her fingers through her hair. Mama apologized for being so angry, but stressed that she needed to learn her lesson for being disobedient. Mama took the pain away enough for her to sleep, but nothing more, and only until the scab was thick and hard enough to not crack easily.

But Mama never took the pain away after that first night and day. And she made sure that she never forgot her lesson again.


End file.
